The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1887-09-02

dDOuI spTeakinS uOuuJs as W bllsna
having any money whatever, "Why
don't he buy that orgaui' he kept say
ing, until people began to wonder why
indeed.
As soon as the rumor spread about
that Elisha was childless, and that he
intended leaving his money in equal
shares to his six nieces, they went off
literally like hot cakes.
Mawley junior, who really loved the
girl, married Bessie, and then they
were all married of in patches of two
until the youngest refused to marry al
all, saying, with her finger at her lip,
"she preferred to stay with father"
In one year all this happened. Am
asa Snow was now q successful man
his debts paid and practice increasing.
One day the rumor reached him-why
had not Elisha paid for that organ2
He went to Elisha. st is time,' he
said, "for you to disappear"
81 am very contented here" pro-
tested Elisha, 'reading the newspapers
and sitting in the hotel. 1t agrees
with me. l don't want to disappear"
He liked the adulation extended to
him on the ground that he was a mill.
ionaire. He played the easy, well-fed-
rich plutocrat revisiting his New Eng
land home to perfection. His acting
was consummate, because it was nature
itself, without mirror being held up
to it. He had just that amount Of
narrowness, of close fistedness, of saga
cious doubt as to the motives of men
who approached him for schemes of
investment; he acted the millionaire to
perfection, and he never overdid it.
"Amasa, / can't CO." he said. "They
think I'm such a good man to make
money. They have actually brought
money to me to make more for them.
Yes, I've received over fifty thousand
dollars for investment within the last
month"
"Great Scott!" exclaimed Amasa.
'This is dreadful! l see State Prison
yawning before u.s."
"It's Just what the Grand American
Spread-eagle Mine needs" said Elisha,
swelling himself out-"a little money. -
"Well, take the money and 60, then
go! I will have nothing to do with
this-nothing."
Amasa was very angry. He resol.
we'd to be responsible for his brother
no longer He went to his daughters,
all but one now we'll married and in
happy, wel]-to-do homes.
"Your uncle and have had row.
he said. "He is going back to Cali.
fornia."
"And the organ, the new library, the
gymnasium?'
"Well, he is mad about something.
He says the town has slighted him.
But one thing must be understood
whatever he does-I wash my hands
of him forever"
Elisha did leave a few days after
He took away about hundred thou
sand dollars of widows and orphans
funds, went to San Francisco, put his
money into various enterprises, paid
the benefoiaries eight per cent interest
was honest as the day, and died few
years ago worth great deal of money
which he left, share and share alike, to
his brothers six girls, and he left &
thousand dollars 10 the new organ.
Amasa still lives-a fairly we'll to Dc
old country lawyei-slightly in deb
still, in East Chesterville. But he il
the adored grandpapa of twelve of the
dearest little grandchildren, and he of
ten says to them, benignly: "Child.
rem, / have put all-and myself-on
our feet. Yes, but had to tell youl
mother an awful lie?"
"Whst was the lie, grandpopper2'
81 had to say the LATEST man aliv,
Your grandunole, children-I had tc
say the penniless old rascal-your
grandfather's brother, my dears, who
had robbed me of all had in one O
his mines, the Great American Spread
Eagle Gold and Silver-I had to say
and stan to it, that he was one of th'
biggest millionaires on the Pacific
coast! But that has put US on ou
feet."-Richard r. Roe, in Harper
| Waikiki.